HISTORY

Stoke sub Hamdon,
Somerset

HISTORY
Introduction
Books
Photos

GENEALOGY
Archives
Books
Census
Diaries
Directories
Immigrations
Emigrations
Family Trees
Gaol
Parish Records
Queries and Answers
Researchers
Scrap Books
Surnames @ the PRO
Wills

MISCELLANEOUS
Contact Us
Links
Mailing List
Who's Who

The Village.

 Stoke-sub-Hamdon lies at the junction of the undulating Dorset uplands with the former marshes of the Somerset Levels - a tactically important site recognised by countless generations.
 Indeed, people have lived in this parish for at least 4,000 years and it is a humbling thought that we only have written records for a small proportion of this timescale.
 Stoke's importance has waxed and waned throughout its history, being arguably a much more important place when the Durotridges - the local Celtic tribe - used Ham Hills one of their strong points before ever the Romans came.

 But Stoke has more recent claims to greatness with the ancestor of one of Britain's kings being the daughter of a former Lord of the Manor of West Stoke.

And the quality of the local building stone from nearby Ham Hill created a quarrying industry which, from Roman times onwards, has resulted in the architectural enrichment of buildings over a wide area of South Somerset and the surrounding counties.

Later, the glove making industry helped to spread the name and fame of Stoke even further a field.

However, Stoke as a community must have been made by its people, and it is here that the richness of Stoke's heritage is exemplified.

Author. Alan Richards
Taken from his book: 'Stoke-sub-Hamdon A Somerset Village'

Search now.